British Greens responding to the intersection of anti-Zionism and antisemitism

Monthly Archives: November 2015

Background

There are things called ‘Antisemitic Canards‘, evoking a French-derived English catchword for “hoax”. They are false stories inciting antisemitism. Despite being false by definition, antisemitic canards often form part of broader theories of Jewish conspiracies and, through repetition down the years, often become generally accepted ‘truths’.

The Rothschild (Red Shield) family has long been the subject of Jewish conspiracy theories from the Napoleonic Wars, to the Illuminati’ and 9/11.

More recent examples of this well integrated canard include this banner (source: Everyday Antisemitism) from the London anti-austerity march in June 2015, created by the young chap on the left.

It says ‘AUSTERITY IS A CON WESTMONSTER BANKSTERS SPONSORED BY ROTHSCHILD.

And this retweet by Sandra White (SNP MSP) from a well followed tweeter.

The image of a pig being suckled is from the New World Order website. Sandra White protested that she retweeted in error. As of April 2015, Twitter gives you a two stage process to confirm a retweet. Since numerous complaints and a police investigation for incitement and hate crime, Sandra White has been given strong warnings, has supposedly ‘unfollowed’ Charles Edward Firth and apologised. People are sacked for less.

Tony Clarke slanders Genel Energy & Rothschild

Tony Clarke told 5Live:

“There are British oil companies such as Genel Energy, run by Nathaniel Rothschild, one of George Osborne’s friends, who are making money, who are buying oil from ISIS, who are putting money into the pot, allowing ISIS therefore to fuel their evil across the world.”

“The Green Party and Tony Clarke apologise to Genel Energy for this false statement, which they have withdrawn and have undertaken not to repeat. The Green Party and Tony Clarke wish to publicly retract this statement and accept it to be untrue and without foundation. Genel Energy… is not, and never has been, a purchaser of oil from anyone.”

The BBC has also had to edit the programme on iPlayer to get rid of his defamatory comments.

Genel Energy is a Kurdistan regional oil-based energy company. Nathaniel Rothschild is not on the Senior Management Team; he is on the Board of Directors alongside nine other members.

No, Tony Clarke did not mention Jew or Jewish, but he’s not a fool, (he is a well-versed ex-Labour Councillor for Northampton Borough Council and ex-Labour MP for Northampton South), neither is the Green Party, hence the very swift retraction.

Tony Clarke could have chosen to state that Mehmet Emin Karamehmet is a major backer of Genel Energy and done his homework to find out that Genel Energy is Kurdish based, hence Karamehmet’s backing and prospects for oil, it does not buy oil from ISIS or anyone. Instead he chose to associate Rothschild, with ISIS, via big money oil, and being chummy with Osborne, “therefore” fuelling evil across the world. Perhaps he was inspired by Sandra White’s (SNP/MSP) antisemitic tweet, which does exactly the same.

A Foreign Affairs Spokesperson is a party equivalent of a Shadow Foreign Minister or Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs. It is one of the ‘great offices of state’. I would assume that with this position comes the requirement of above-reproach diplomatic skills and cogent and knowledgeable statements and behaviour. Ignorant of the Rothschild conspiracy tropes makes one wonder about the competency of someone deemed party-fit for a Foreign Affairs position. For someone who was a Councillor and MP, I doubt ignorance plays a part. Either way, it took me a few minutes to find out the relevant information.

Incompetence, ignorance or knowing use of a well-worn antisemitic canard? Either way, one would have thought that it would make one’s position untenable, people have been dismissed for less or similar in this party. Then again, blind-eye antisemitism in the Green Party has had a comfy home for years.

Totally, lazy, stupid and, I allege, a deliberate use of a well known old canard. The Green Party apologised, notably, swiftly to Genel Energy, one wonders where its apology to Nathaniel Rothschild and the Rothschild Family is.